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Jose had a deep interest in Nate. He quickly became aware of the magic rings that had appeared in his own guild, as any guild master would.
Upon investigation, he discovered that Juvia was responsible for introducing the rings. After purchasing one from her, Jose quickly realized the immense value of internet magic.
He tried to get more information from Juvia, but when she refused to reveal the source, he angrily sent her on an S-class mission.
Over the past few days, Jose had been lurking on the internet, quietly observing. He soon confirmed that this new magic originated from Fairy Tail. After a bit of digging, he quickly pinpointed Nate as the creator.
Learning that Nate had only recently joined Fairy Tail filled Jose with jealousy. Once again, it was Fairy Tail stealing the spotlight.
In recent years, Fairy Tail's reputation had gradually overshadowed Phantom Lord, with hints of it becoming the top guild in Fiore.
Now, with a genius like Nate in their ranks, Jose could barely contain his frustration. He was desperate to poach Nate from Fairy Tail, assuming that since Nate was new, his loyalty to the guild wasn't deeply rooted yet. If he offered the right incentives, showered Nate with attention, and promised a bright future, he was sure Nate would switch sides.
Seeing Jose try to lure Nate away enraged Makarov. The old man jumped off the table and quickly placed himself protectively in front of Nate, like a mother hen guarding her chick.
"What are you trying to pull, Jose?" Makarov glared at his longtime rival.
"Heh heh, Makarov, every mage has the right to choose their own path. Or does Fairy Tail restrict its members' freedom to come and go as they please?" Jose replied with a sly smile.
The other guild masters refrained from getting involved this time. They had only teased Nate earlier to mess with Makarov, who had been boasting about the internet rings. Everyone present knew full well about the deep-seated animosity between Makarov and Jose.
Bob, the guild master of Blue Pegasus, leaned over to Nate and whispered, "Jose and your guild master don't get along too well."
Nate understood the hint and nodded, turning to Jose. "Thank you for the offer, Master Jose, but I'm quite happy with Fairy Tail. I have no plans to leave for the time being."
"Is that so? How unfortunate," Jose replied with a polite smile, though he didn't seem particularly bothered. He hadn't expected to win Nate over just yet. This meeting was more about gauging Nate's abilities in person.
At that moment, Goldman, the guild master of Quatro Cerberus, chuckled and asked, "Nate, your internet magic is fascinating, but is it true that it can only be accessed through these rings?"
"For now, yes," Nate confirmed. He had plans to develop a more convenient way to access the internet without needing a ring, but his current knowledge of magic wasn't advanced enough to make that a reality.
However, as Nate spoke, he suddenly remembered that he still had over ten thousand rings in stock. With more than twenty guild masters present, selling to them didn't just mean a small handful of customers. Each guild represented hundreds of potential users.
"Since you've all been so welcoming," Nate said with a smile, "I'll give each guild master here a ring for free."
Since Jose already had a ring, Nate skipped him. Makarov, arms crossed, huffed in mock frustration. "Free? That's too generous! Especially after these guys tried to poach you from me! Each ring should cost one million jewels—they scared my precious child!" he joked.
Bob, already wearing the ring and admiring it with a raised pinky, giggled. "It's so stylish! Nate, you're just too talented. And Makarov, you're too stingy!"
The other guild masters burst into laughter.
"One million jewels? No problem!"
"Can we buy more, Nate? I'd like to give each of my mages one."
"I agree! We need more, and don't worry, we'll pay you what you're worth."
"I really like the online commission feature," another guild master chimed in.
As they laughed and negotiated, Nate turned to Makarov and whispered, "Isn't one million per ring a bit too much?"
"It's up to you," Makarov replied, smiling kindly. "They are your creation after all, and you deserve to be compensated for the materials and effort."
"Oh, and by the way," Makarov added, "the ten rings we sold to the Magic Council brought in ten million jewels. Mirajane will give you your share later."
Nate was shocked. 'The council has that much money to throw around?'
After a moment of consideration, Nate decided to sell the rings to the guild masters at a more reasonable price—ten thousand jewels each. Selling them to Jose for ten thousand and charging other guilds one million would be outrageous.
In no time, over seven thousand rings were sold, with each guild buying an average of three hundred rings. The guild masters agreed to send payment in a few days after they returned to their respective guilds. Nate wasn't worried about the delay—he already had nearly nine million jewels in cash, plus the ten million from the council, and now another seventy million from this sale.
'Wow, I'm almost at a hundred million Jewels…' Nate thought, astonished by the sheer scale of his earnings.
As the guild masters logged into the internet, gathering in small groups to explore the new magic, Makarov walked over, smiling warmly.
"This new feature you added is incredibly useful. You did a great job, Nate," Makarov said. "You must be hungry after your journey. Let's get you something to eat."
Nate followed Makarov to a table by the wall. The old master hopped onto a chair and began introducing the various dishes on the table. Nate, who hadn't eaten yet, wasted no time helping himself.
As they ate, Makarov asked, "So, did you come here alone? Where are the others?"
"Well, Natsu is outside… fighting the Iron Dragon from Phantom Lord," Nate replied casually, but before he could finish his sentence, there was a loud crash.
Natsu came flying through the wall, smashing into the banquet hall and taking out three tables in the process—including the one Nate had been eating at. Makarov, frozen in shock, stared at his upended wine glass, while Nate, having anticipated the chaos, had already grabbed the best dish from the table and saved it from the wreckage.
The guild masters, who had been engrossed in the internet, turned to see what had happened.
"What's going on?"
"Is it an attack from Eisenwald?"
"Wait, isn't that Fairy Tail's Fire Dragon, Natsu?"
Natsu quickly got to his feet, completely ignoring the others as his eyes locked onto Gajeel, who was standing outside the shattered wall.
"Damn it! I'm not done yet!" Natsu roared, taking a deep breath and inflating his cheeks like a balloon.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Outside, Gajeel, not one to back down, responded in kind.
"Iron Dragon's Roar!"
The two dragon slayers' attacks clashed violently, and with a deafening explosion, the entire mansion shook. Flames and debris filled the air.
Nate, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but sigh. 'I knew it… Eisenwald can't hold a candle to Natsu's destructive power.'